Ahhhh, at last I have some time to update the blog. In the past weeks since we last "spoke" I have done many things and been many wonderful places. I will retell in chronological order the main trips I've been on. First:

Crete

I went to the Island of Crete for a week with my school. They broke us up into groups and we got to see all the wonderful ancient Minoan ruins-- to me, rock pile after rock pile. I understand how lucky I was to be lead around these site by the archeological who helped excavate them, but I have a hard time visualizing what it used to be like. I did enjoy Crete very much, though... It was out of this world pretty, and some of the sites were interesting, like The Law code of Gortyn->

This is a picture of a small section of a wall covered in Linear B script, a very powerful image. This law code stood as the standard law or at least a standard reference for the entire Aegean area for many many years. I got to read a translation of it and it lays out basic of social interaction- what to do if a slave man marries a upper class woman, what happens when a man divorces a woman, etc.

We also were taken to see Minoan burial sites, which I enjoyed very much as well (picture to come: Lizz in a shaft grave, part of the series "Lizz in Small Places")

The first hotel we stayed in was amazing, too. Everyone got there own little bungalow in the mountains. There were flowers everywhere, and fresh springs, and great little tavernas and seafood restaurants. I was definitely taking this as a vacation, not gunna lie.

On the 3rd day after another visit to Minoan rock piles under an excruciatingly hot sun, we went to the seaside town of Matala (70 miles from N. Africa- Hi Stacy! Laura! Dani B!). Remember how I said this was really a vacation? check out this beach. The water was perfect, and there were cliffs that you could jump off right into it, and tons of caves to explore.

(This one's for the study abroad photo contest)

Sumerian Gorge

longest gorge in Europe, yep I conquered it. Actually, it really wasn't difficult. The gravel path was lined with trash bins, and there were W.C's (toilets) every few kilometers. But, its beauty made up for that, for sure (I'll spare you the pun) here are some pictures.

Strange rock stacks, found all over Crete... no one could give me an explanation.

(This photo is for Karyn Boatwright, who hates SA pics that have no people in them....I'm not doing a very good job sorry!)

Santorini (future home #1)
The next weekend I went to Santorini. If you plan on going to an Island in Greece, chose this one, ok? it will rock your world.

There are the lovely ladies that I traveled with, l->r: Mia, Danielle, Christine, Claire, Ryan


and the Hotel Carlos, the cutest hotel in the world! The woman who works here makes her own jams (banana, fig, grape) candies and cactus honey. I want to Santorini this summer and work for her, making jams--- or cleaning toilets-- whatever as long as I can be there, meet her family, and soak up island life. small dream. Santorini is really everything I imagined it would be.



This is the dormant volcano in Santorini. Thousands of years ago it erupted and much of the island broke off into the water, giving the Island its shape, and sending a tidal wave over the whole region... it also errupted more recently (sorry I cant remember the date) and totally destoyed Fira (the main city there) killing many on the island. It was interesting to have this fact in my head as I was crawling all over it, watching the sulfur rise from---what I like to think of as-- the center of the earth. Did anyone else play lava monster when we were young? Volcanoes rock!




Hey! I found never never land------>

<-----Sulfer






We took donkey's down the cliff to the boat that took us to the volcano. This is my donkey. His name is Pedro, quite fitting, don't you think? After the volcano, I jumped off the boat, swam to some hot springs, and rubbed mud all over my body. Now, those are some pictures that I wish had been taken--- I am an Amazon Warrior Princess, you better believe it!

You know you're settled in Greece when.... This is brought to you on a plate, and you are disappointed that it didn't come in a pita.

Oia.beautiful. Go there.

Alright, this all for now... even though I have three more trips to share. Perhaps tomorrow:The Argolid, Thessaloniki (future home #2) and rural Greece